Beachy waves look great on almost everyone, regardless of hair type. This low-maintenance style is modelled after the textured, tousled look hair gets after spending a day at the beach. The salt water and wind create the “undone” effect. Many people recreate beachy waves at home by using salt sprays on their hair. Unfortunately, salt sprays are very drying. There are many products and techniques you can use to achieve the same effect without resorting to salt products.

Steps

Method1

Working with Fine Hair

1

Apply a texturizing mousse product to damp hair. Shampoo and condition your hair as you normally would, using products that are volumizing and sulfate-free. Gently towel dry your hair to remove excess moisture. Scrunch a texturizing mousse product into your hair, working it thoroughly from root to tip.[1]

Sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate are common ingredients in shampoos and conditioners. These chemicals can damage hair and cause frizz.

2

Blow dry your roots without using a brush. “Rough-drying” means to blow dry your hair using your fingers to move your hair around, rather than a hair brush. Start by lifting your hair at the roots with your fingers. Hold your blow dryer several inches away from your scalp and aim it at the roots. Turn it on and work your fingers throughout your hair, lifting and drying the roots.[2]

Drying the roots first will help to add volume and body to fine hair.

3

Dry the rest of your hair. Use your hands and fingers to tousle your hair as you move the blow dryer around your head. Don’t worry about doing this evenly or perfectly – you want to achieve a rumpled, “undone” look. As it dries, you’ll notice that your hair is fuller than usual and has a lot of texture.

Volume and texture are the key components of this look.

4

Add extra waves with a curling iron or wand. Once your hair is completely dry, wrap small sections of it around a ceramic curling wand or iron. Start at the middle of your hair, not at the roots, and stop about an inch from the ends. Hold the hair around the tool for several seconds, then release. After you finish each section, drop the curl and tug at the ends gently to loosen the wave.[3]

You can achieve an extra tousled look by twisting each section of hair before curling it.

If you have short hair, use a wand or iron that has a one-inch barrel.

For longer hair, use a wider barrel.

5

Set it with volumizing texture hair spray. Once you’ve completely finished adding waves with the wand, spray a volumizing texture product all over your head. This will help to set the waves, add necessary texture and give your fine locks a little more body.[4] Do not spray the product on your hair and continue using the heating tool – this can damage your hair.

If you want a little more volume, or if your hair begins to feel limp by midday, apply a volumizing powder or dry shampoo product to the roots and fluff with your fingers.[5]

Method2

Creating Beachy Waves for Straight Hair

1

Shampoo and condition your hair as usual. Gently scrunch your hair with a towel to remove excess water – try not to rough up your hair while towel drying it, since this is damaging. Apply a heat-protection cream product to your damp hair. Run a wide-toothed comb through it to evenly distribute the product from root to tip.

2

Use your fingers to blow dry your hair. “Rough-dry” your hair, starting with the roots, to give your straight locks extra volume. Once the roots are dry, move on to blow drying the rest of your hair. Tousle it with your fingers and move sections of it around as you blow dry it.[6]

Don’t stop until your hair is completely dry.

3

Divide your hair into two sections and braid it. Part your hair down the middle or along its usual part and divide it into two sections – one on each side of your head. Braid each section loosely. You can start your braids at the root or, for a slightly more “undone” look, start at the middle of your hair and braid it the rest of the way down.[7]

Secure each braided section with an elastic, leaving about an inch of unbraided hair at the ends.

Tug gently at the ends to slightly loosen the braids.

4

Use a flat-iron to tightly press down on the braids. Starting near the root or about halfway down (depending on where you want to waves to begin), clamp down on each braid with a ceramic flat iron. Press it tightly for a few seconds to create a wave. Release it, move down about an inch or two, and clamp down again.

Work your way down to the elastic on each section.

Then move back up to the middle area and clamp down a few more times.

5

Undo the braids. Remove the elastic and loosen both braids. Use a texturizing spray all over your hair, spraying as you finger-comb the sections. Scrunch gently it with your fingers and, if necessary, spray a little more of the texturizing product to set the look.

Use a volumizing powder or dry shampoo at the roots and tousle, if desired. This can provide a little more texture and body.[8]

Method3

Working with Thick and Curly Hair

1

Shampoo and condition your hair before bed. Use hydrating hair care products to give your thick mane a dose of moisture. Squeeze your wet hair gently with a towel to remove excess water. Do not rough up your hair when you’re towel drying it, since this can cause your curls to turn into frizz. Apply a smoothing serum or oil product to your hair.[9]

Run a wide-toothed comb through your hair from root to tip to remove any lingering tangles and evenly distribute the serum.

2

Divide your hair into two sections and braid it. Part your damp hair down the middle or along its usual part to divide it into two sections – one on each side of your head. Loosely braid both sections, making sure to smooth down the top. Secure each braid at the end with an elastic. Tug gently on each braid to loosen it up.

If your hair is thick and coarse but not curly, start your braids at the root and don’t worry about smoothing down the top.

For extra waves, divide the hair into more than two sections before you braid them.[10]

3

Pull both braids up and pin them to your scalp. Simply pull them across the crown of your head, one from each side, so that the braids look like a head band. Use bobby pins to gently secure the braids. Doing this can help prevent your curly hair from getting frizzy during the night. It will also encourage your ringlets to dry into looser waves, which is how you’ll achieve the beachy style.[11]

Avoid blow drying or “rough-drying” your hair, since your hair naturally has plenty of volume. Rough-drying could lead to frizzy strands, too.[12]

4

Sleep on it. Go to bed as you normally would, allowing your hair to dry naturally during the night. In the morning, gently remove the pins from your hair and release the braids. Shake your head and use your fingers to loosen the waves. Your hair will be almost completely dry, with a slight dampness remaining.

5

Let it air-dry. Spray a texturizing product all over your head and let your strands air-dry the rest of the way.[13] As it air-dries, your tousled waves will fluff up and fill out. Control any fly-aways with a light creamy wax. You can also apply the wax to the ends of your hair to create a little more texture and achieve a “piecey” effect.[14]

Method4

Working with Naturally Wavy Hair

1

Apply a texturizing spray product to wet hair. Shampoo and condition your hair as you normally would. Gently towel dry it by squeezing out the excess water and dabbing at your scalp. Don’t rub your hair roughly with the towel, which can result in frizz and damage your strands.

Run a wide-toothed comb through your hair to distribute the hair product evenly.

2

Twist your hair as you blow dry it. If you have naturally wavy hair, “rough-drying” is still the way to go, but you want to do it in a more controlled way. Use your fingers to lift your hair at the roots, drying those first. Then switch your blow dryer to the low setting. Continue using your fingers to dry the rest of your hair. As you do so, take small sections of it and twist them as you blow dry them.[15]

Blow dry your hair until it’s about 90% dry.

3

Roll up the twists into pin-curls. Take the twisted sections of hair and roll them into “mini” buns. Use bobby pins to gently secure each pin-curl to your scalp. Leave the ends of your hair – the last inch – sticking out of the buns. After you’ve created your pin-curls, mist all over your head with a texturizing spray.

Use your blow dryer on the low setting to gently blast the pin curls for about sixty seconds.[16]

Continue until the remaining 10% of your hair is dry.

4

Undo the pin-curls. Gently remove the bobby pins and unfurl the mini buns. Shake your head to loosen the waves. Finger comb gently. Mist all over your hair once more with the texturizing spray. Scrunch gently with your fingers.[17] Apply a smoothing serum to the ends to separate the strands and tame any fly-aways.[18]

If you find your waves going limp around midday, spray dry shampoo at the roots and fluff your hair with your fingers.